Hallows Eve
by Moonchild10
Summary: Tamaki x Haruhi: A collection of prompt-based ficlets to celebrate Halloween. Now complete! Happy Halloween!
1. 1 through 4

_YAAAAY! This is my contribution to Lit's Halloween Prompt Challenge on the Ouran forum SHINE. We were given 31 word prompts and we have to write a story for each, and I'm doing mine on Tamaki x Haruhi. I'll be posting these in groups of four or five prompts a chapter until I'm finished 8D_

**Username: **Meikyou  
**Pairing: **TamaHaru  
**Squad: **Brown

* * *

**1: Pumpkin**

"Haruhi!" Tamaki bit his lip, puzzling over the bright orange surface of the vegetable in front of him. "I don't know how to do this!" he declared dramatically, holding the knife in one hand and gesturing with it like it was a wand. Haruhi winced, sure he was going to end up cutting himself. He was never as cautious as he should be, and it irked her.

"Stop waving that knife around," she instructed. "You're going to put your eye out," she didn't care that she sounded like an old man… the important thing was that he didn't get hurt, especially not because of something this stupid.

"Oh…" this didn't seem to have occurred to him before now, and yet again she was amazed by his dense nature. She sighed as she watched him frown at the vegetable again. "So, I carve the face into it myself? And what do I do with all this?" he asked, picking up a handful of the goo inside the pumpkin and looking distressed. "Am I supposed to eat it?" he sounded horrified by this prospect.

"_No_," she told him, just wishing that he would calm down and listen. "You take out all that goo and put it on the newspaper, and yes, you carve the face yourself. Be careful with the knife when you're cutting it; it's sharp."

"I've never done this before," Tamaki sounded enchanted as he stuck his knife into the surface of the pumpkin and began to carve delicately but inexpertly, cutting out what looked like an eye. He looked up at her. "This is fun. You're going to help, aren't you? I wouldn't want to keep it all to myself."

"Okay," Haruhi decided to appease him, picking up a knife for herself and moving into place beside him. By the end of the evening they were covered in pumpkin juice and Tamaki had cut his finger, but Haruhi couldn't help but think that this was the most fun she had had in such a long time.

**2: Black**

"Sempai, are you wearing makeup?"

She had good reason to ask, of course. Tamaki's lashes were a deep, charcoal black. They fanned out and looked surprisingly long in all their sudden, much too feminine splendor. He looked frighteningly good with the new feminine quality

"What?" he looked utterly confused for a moment, and then the realization dawned on him. He brushed a fingertip lightly across his lashes and chuckled softly. "I was trying on some costumes for the Halloween ball, and one of them involved makeup. I guess I must have forgotten to wash it off!" his voice was jovial, and unlike anyone else if they had been in the situation, he showed not a hint of embarrassment. The black lashes fluttered a he blinked. Such a rich, appealing black.

"Um… Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi couldn't stop herself from asking, though she knew it was foolish.

"Yes?"

"Um… what costume was that makeup for?"

"Oh, this?" he asked her casually, gesturing to the sultry black lashes. "A French maid!"

Haruhi nearly fainted.

**3: Spellcraft**

There was something magical about this time of year, and it never failed to thrill Tamaki. He moved happily around the edge of the stage toward where Nekozawa was standing, looking out of place in the festive room with his black cloak and wig.

"Nekozawa-sempai, I just wanted to say thank you again for agreeing to do this demonstration!" he said as he approached him, and Nekozawa jumped at the unexpected voice.

"It's no problem," he assured him with even a hint of excitement coloring his voice, and Tamaki smiled happily, clapping his hands together.

"Brilliant! It's going to be wonderful for our customers to experience a bit of magic this close to Halloween… it will get everyone in the spirit!" he leaned in a bit closer after he said this, his voice lowering a bit. "And I was wondering if I could maybe give you a special request?"

"Fine," Nekozawa answered with a nod. "This is all your plan, anyway. I wouldn't mind at all."

"Spelendid!" Tamaki clapped his hands together once more. "I was hoping maybe you could do some sort of…" he blushed slightly. "Temporary love spell, or something to that effect?"

"Love spell?" Haruhi asked from somewhere barely a foot away from them. Tamaki shrieked in surprise, not having noticed her there before. "What's that all about?"

"Nothing, nothing! Never mind!" Tamaki said, laughing sheepishly as he ushered a flailing Nekozawa away. "Nothing at all!"

**4: Blood**

There was fake blood _everywhere_.

As hard as Tamaki tried to get in the spirit and find it festive, he couldn't see it as anything but ghoulish. She shivered slightly at the sight of it drizzled over the white tablecloth of the buffet table and on the walls amid the colorfully decorated ghosts and spiders. As unmanly as it was, Tamaki absolutely abhorred blood. It made him feel faint. He leaned against the table for support, only to find that his hand rested in fake blood.

"Urk!" he did his bets to wipe it off on a napkin.

"Are you okay, Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi asked him with genuine concern in her voice. He looked up to find her standing beside him, wearing a headband with a pair of bobbling pumpkins attached that the twins had no doubt forced onto her head. "You look a little queasy."

"Fine, fine," he told her brightly, straightening up and shivering slightly before giving his 'daughter' an amiable grin. "You don't need to worry about daddy!" he wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and continued to beam at her, though he swayed a bit.

"Hey, milord," said a sudden voice from behind him, and Hikaru (or Kaoru) popped up and waved a tissue-paper ghost in his face. Tamaki jumped slightly.

"Lovely party, isn't it?" Kaoru (or Hikaru) asked, giving him a slightly evil smirk.

"Yes, it is!" Tamaki did his best to hide his current state. "It's going just splendidly," he stared at the two, trying in vain to tell them apart as they exchanged a knowing glance.

"Well, it would be," said Hikaru (Kaoru?) forlornly, hanging his head. "Except for the fact that--" he lifted his shirt to reveal a grisly fake wound, complete with fake intestines and goopy, oozing blood. "I'm dying!"

"Augh…" Tamaki swayed and fell backward, falling on top of Haruhi. With a slight squeak, the two toppled to the ground. Sitting up, Tamaki quickly offered Haruhi his hand to help her up. "I'm sorry!" he wailed apologetically. "I didn't mean to do that, really!"

"I know," Haruhi took his hand, though she didn't put much weight on it as she climbed to her feet. "Don't worry about it," she gave him a gentle smile. "Everyone's afraid of something."

* * *

_I'll post the next set soon!_


	2. 5 through 8

_TamaHaruuuuuuu :faints: I just love this couple more every time I write for it. It makes me squeal. And chapter 58 of the manga!? EEEEEH! :almost dies:_

_But anyway, here are parts 5 through 8. Hopefully I'll finish by Halloween! Wish me luck! XD And by the way, I'm being Tamaki for Halloween. Is anyone else doing the whole Ouran thing? And anyway, tell me about your costumes! WEEE!_

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**5: Candy**

"Haaaaaaaru-chan!" Hunny shouted brightly, bounding over to her as she took a seat in one of the chairs. Work had not yet started, and as usual in the few minutes before customers started filing in, Haruhi was being bombarded. "Want some candy?"

Hunny was carrying a large, orange bowl shaped like a pumpkin with the top cut off. Inside was a wide variety of Halloween candies in brightly-colored wrappers, a riot of color that almost made her head spin.

"No thanks, Hunny-sempai," she said, shaking her head. "I don't really feel like having any candy right now…"

Hunny looked surprised, and Mori placed a hand on his shoulder as if to say 'That's enough' before he got carried away. Hunny didn't seem to take the hint. "Haru-chan doesn't want candy!? But… candy is good for your soul!"

"My…soul?" Haruhi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes! And it's always good for making your day happy! Especially around Halloween! It's the best thing for you in the morning!"

"I thought that was breakfast," Mori interjected thoughtfully. Haruhi was tempted to laugh, and she smiled at Hunny as he held the bowl of candy out to her hopefully, giving her a big, sugar-induced grin.

"No thanks, I really don't want any," she assured him, waving her hands a bit to emphasize this.

"Well, if you don't want any candy…" Tamaki interposed from the chair beside hers, where he had been surprisingly quiet until now. "Maybe you'd like something else that's sweet?" he was in one of his rare serious moments, and as he took her hand and kissed it tenderly he gave her a rather sultry smile.

Haruhi wrenched her hand away, her cheeks burning. "No thanks," she said forcefully, but her heart was pounding.

**6: Magic**

There was something magic about the air in the third music room that evening. Preparations were being made for the start of the Host Club Special Halloween Week Spectacular, and the excitement was evident. As various club members were being fitted for their costumes and Hunny sat eating candied apples one after another, Tamaki was flitting around the room overseeing everything like a good King should.

"Haruhi, are you having fun?" he asked the female host as he approached her. She was seated on one of the sofas, helping Renge cut out paper ghosts ("it has to be festive!" Renge had declared, "Or there's no point in doing it!").

"Sure," she told him, giving him a slight smile. It made him giddy to see her in a good mood, and he swooped in on her, grabbing her in his arms in a tight hug.

"Oh, daddy is so glad his little girl is having a good time!" he gushed, squeezing her tightly against his chest. She was warm in his arms, and he could feel a light tug on his heart, something that made it difficult to breathe.

He fully expected her to get irritated, to push him away, or to have some sort of unpleasant reaction to his hug. But to his surprise she allowed herself to be embraced, not moving from the warm circle of his arms. And then, before he could even comprehend what was happening, she was gingerly hugging him back. He sighed happily, a smile that was too big to contain slipping across his lips.

It really was magic after all.

**7: Witch**

"Oh you look so cute, Haruhi!"

Contrary to her sempai's words, Haruhi felt like she looked ridiculous. Associates of the twins' mother were helping out by designing costumes for the club, and currently Haruhi stood on a stool in the middle of the music room as several bony-fingered women made the final adjustments to her costume. She was the last to have hers done, having put it off for as long as possible, and now she had the rest of the club as an audience to her torture. She now knew that waiting so long had been a fatal mistake.

"Take the skirt in a little bit," Kyouya said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "It's going to drag."

Haruhi sighed. Her costume consisted of a ridiculously fluffy black and orange dress that was supposed to be a witch costume. There was, of course, the customary matching pointed hat, but she felt more like a frilly princess than a witch. She guessed this was all Tamaki's doing, and cast him a reproachful look. His chin was rested in his hand as he looked at her with absolute concentration.

"I think it might need a bit more lace…"

"_More_ lace?" Haruhi asked, slightly distressed as the others milled around her, shouting suggestions and waving their arms. But through all the chaos, she couldn't help but notice that Tamaki's eyes never left her, and when he saw her looking at him a slight blush crept over his cheeks. It was unlike him to be so coy, and Haruhi was more than a bit confused. Tamaki seemed to read her bewilderment, and he offered her a small, uncharacteristically shy smile.

"You look so beautiful," he said just loud enough for her to hear and looking into her yes from where he stood beside the stool she was standing on. There was so much complete sincerity in those words that Haruhi found herself blushing too. But miraculously, neither of them looked away.

**8: Trick**

The large, plastic cauldron sat in the middle of the third music room when she entered, looking rather out of place. So of course, being curious by nature, Haruhi decided to investigate. The cauldron was black, so deep that in the confines of the usually bright music room it looked odd and contrasting, especially with the bright orange crepe paper Tamaki had insisted on hanging around the room. Such a strange sight was worth investigating, and she approached it with care.

It was hollow, that much was obvious. She could vaguely see the huge opening in the top, and when she rapped on the side it "bong"ed against her knuckles. She stood up on her tiptoes to peer over the edge, and that was when--

"Boo!" Hunny popped out of the cauldron, waving his arms in the air, Usa-chan in one hand. Haruhi, an unsuspecting victim of the boy's trick, actually shouted, despite all her usual calm. She staggered backward, waving her arms madly, only to come to rest against something warm. Tamaki instinctively wrapped his arms around her from behind to keep her from falling.

"Haruhi!" he said happily, and she looked up to find him beaming down at her. "Good morning!" his embrace tightened slightly, and she could feel her cheeks heat up.

"Good morning, sempai," she croaked, jerking herself carefully away from him and heading toward one of the sofas, successfully hiding her blush.

* * *

_More sooooooon XD_


	3. 9 through 12

_Weehee! I remembered to update! XD Special thanks to a certain friend of mine who reminded me rather forcefully that I was supposed to be working on this. You know who you are ;D_

* * *

**9: Devil**

As far as Haruhi was concerned, Kyouya was the devil. There could certainly not be any other explanation for why things had turned out the way they had. Of course, it had been Tamaki's idea to visit the Halloween maze in the first place ("It'll be so festive!" he'd declared) But the fact that they had decided to go in pairs had been all Kyouya's idea. It was only natural that Mori and Hunny went together, and of course Hikaru and Kaoru were a team. Kyouya tagged along with the twins ("To quell their need to cause mayhem, Haruhi. Why else?"). This left Haruhi and Tamaki together, which would have been fine. But it turned out that Haruhi was paired up with the only member of the host club without a sense of direction, and she didn't have much of one herself.

"Do you think it's this way?" Tamaki asked her, pointing off to the left.

"I don't know," she muttered, rubbing her temples and sighing. "But I do think we're lost. Could you call one of the others and ask them to help us?" she was starting to get a bit antsy, having been trapped in the heart of the maze for nearly half an hour.

"Of course!" Tamaki declared, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. But when he came up empty-handed, they exchanged a worried glance. "Oh, the cruelty of fate!" Tamaki wailed, collapsing onto his knees. "We're going to die out here, and our memory will fade from the face of the earth!"

"Sempai… we're just in the school's rose garden maze. The only difference is the decorations. I really don't think we're going to die…" she walked over to him, sidestepping a wooden ghost that stuck up from the ground on a stick. Placing her hand gingerly on his shoulder, she watched him look up at her and smile. He climbed to his feet, brushing the bits of grass from his pants.

"You're right, Haruhi. We'll find our way out of here!" triumphantly, he raised a fist to the sky. "Let's go!" he reached over and gently took her hand in his. She blushed slightly, but ignored it, and the two of them wandered off in a random direction. They weren't any less lost, but she was comforted by the simple feeling of his hand in hers.

**10: Cat**

Tamaki moved like a cat at times, graceful and elegant. The small headband with cat ears attached didn't help matters, either, and she found herself lost in the way he moved as he swirled around the music room in a whirlwind of splendor. Haruhi could do little bit stand helplessly and watch with fascination as he oversaw the process of decorating the room for the upcoming week (which would be dedicated solely to Halloween).

"Haruhi!" he gushed, catching sight of her. He moved over to her and began rambling happily about some inane thing, all the while looking happily into her eyes with his flashing indigo ones. She couldn't really focus on the words coming from his mouth, just on his motions and the wonder at the fact that she had never really noticed how alluring they were before. "Haruhi, are you alright? You look a bit… preoccupied."

"I'm fine," she assured him, biting her lip. "Hey, maybe you should go and make sure Kyouya's ordering the right color of napkins…"

"Of course!" Tamaki beamed at her. "You bring up a wise point. Farewell, Haruhi, I shall return soon!" and he moved across the room as Haruhi watched his feline grace and wondered if she didn't see a swishing tail, too.

**11: Haunted**

"This place gives me the creeps," Kaoru muttered, rubbing listlessly at his bare arms. The atmosphere of the haunted house was indeed far creepier than Tamaki would have anticipated, and he shivered slightly, nodding in agreement.

"They… certainly have done a good job this year," he muttered, wondering why exactly the house was out in the middle of nowhere rather than near the school this year, and why it wasn't built for the event as it usually was. This year a house that had been standing at the far edge of a field near Ouran was the chosen site. It made little sense to him.

"I wonder why it doesn't have any decorations," Haruhi said thoughtfully, glancing around at the cobweb-covered walls. "It seems a little weird."

"Ooooooh, Haruhi, the decorations are missing because a ghost stole them…" Hikaru said, wiggling his fingers, and he and Kaoru burst into a fit of giggles. Haruhi sighed and looked unamused. This posed an entirely new thought for Tamaki, however, and he glanced warily around. He didn't like ghosts, to be honest. He didn't even like the _concept_ of ghosts. And right now the thought that they were in a so-called haunted house made matters even worse.

"Ghosts?" he asked, his body giving a slight tremor. Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a devilish glance.

"That's right, ghosts," Hikaru said, narrowing his eyes.

"Didn't you hear? The reason they picked this location this year is because this house really _is_ haunted. Someone got shot here last summer, and ever since people say that shadows flicker on the windows…" his voice was low and spooky, and Tamaki's eyes widened. He hated to show fear over something so obviously fake and stupid, but he couldn't stop himself from trembling slightly at the thought of vengeful ghosts from the past closing in around them. He looked in vain for some way to escape the sudden terror. And then, as though a light had broken the infinite darkness, he felt a hand on his arm.

Looking to his left, he saw Haruhi looking up at him, her fingers splayed delicately out over his jacket. She gave his arm a squeeze, and for a moment he swore she really _understood_, knew the things that lurked behind his front. To his surprise, he felt her hand leave his arm and her arm slip shyly around his waist. Instantly, his fear melted away.

**12: Laughter**

He loved the sound of her laughter, ringing like delicate silver bells in the room, filling any area with sunshine. He absolutely adored it, to the point where he would do close to anything to make her laugh. To hear her laughing, see that smile on her lips, and to know she was happy. That was his secret goal in life, from the moment he met her. He loved to see his 'daughter' happy, and though he was still not sure if more lay beyond that charade of family. But nevertheless, he strived for nothing else.

She was laughing now, at the fairy princess costume that the twins had bullied Kyouya into putting on (they had used a significant amount of force, she was sure). Her eyes were alight with mirth and her face was red with so much laughter. Kyouya looked more than a bit miffed by all this, but whenever he tried to get away, the twins would swoop in and block his exit.

"You look lovely in that gown, Mother!" Tamaki said, giggling a bit himself and earning a poisonous glare from the dark-haired male. But it didn't matter, because Haruhi, who was swaying a bit she was laughing so hard, inadvertently leaned against him. All other things promptly disappeared from his reality.

* * *

_More soon! Yay! :3_


	4. 13 through 16

**13: Treat**

Amid the bright colors of the music room, there was an endless supply of treats. With the upcoming Halloween dance looming just on the horizon, the entire week was devoted mostly to such things. If there was one thing the Host Club did right, Haruhi had to admit, it was food. There were endless tables piles high with sweets and Halloween-themed dishes. The only downside was that she hadn't gotten to taste any of them, being so busy with customers.

"What are you going to be for Halloween, Haruhi-kun?"

"Did you help with the decorations, Haruhi-kun?"

"Will you dance with me at the ball, Haruhi-kun?"

"Um… a witch, I made the ghosts, and I'd love to," Haruhi answered them all in one sentence, and the girls seemed pleased by her answers. She wasn't actually doing her hosting duties at the moment, but Tamaki's solemn rule that as long as you were on duty in the club, you had to speak to girls as though they were your customers. This was how she had gotten stuck not three feet from the food her stomach so desperately desired.

"You're being a witch? That's so cute!" one of the girls said with a squeal, clapping her hands together. Haruhi smiled, ignoring growling in her stomach.

"Excuse me, Haruhi," Kyouya said cordially as he walked past, and Haruhi took a step backward to allow him to pass. Unfortunately, Tamaki happened to be passing behind her at that very moment, and he collided with her with a loud squeal. Pressed up against his chest, she looked up at his blushing face.

"Sorry, sempai," she muttered. But this contact was a far better treat than those on the table.

**14: Ghost**

"Boo!"

"Gah!" Tamaki went flying backward at the sight of the ghost that popped up around the corner. He grabbed hold of Haruhi and hid behind her, and almost immediately he felt like a coward for it.

"Wow milord, you're terrible," Hikaru said as he emerged, the ghost on a wooden stick still clutched in his hand.

"You're right, Hikaru," Kaoru agreed, coming into view beside his brother. "You should be _protecting_ Haruhi from the terrible ghost, not protecting yourself by using her as a human shield!"

"Such terrible manners," Hikaru interjected.

"Oh Haruhi, I'm so sorry!" Tamaki wailed, taking hold of the bewildered girl's wrists and escalating the matter far more than was necessary. "I did not realize my rudeness until now, and I'll gladly do anything I can to make up for it!" he lunged forward and grabbed her in a tight hug, knocking the air from her lungs.

"It's fine, sempai… you don't need to worry about it…" she wheezed, but his hair smelled so good that she was tempted to tell him she was angry so he would never let go.

**15: Spooky**

By Nekozawa's standards, the third music room was usually actually quite spooky; the bright colors, the blinding light, the constant chatter of incessantly excited fangirls. But now, closer to Halloween, the entire atmosphere was different, more suited to his tastes. The lights were kept down low, and the decorations mostly covered the brightly colored walls. It was then that he would venture into the room to visit the hosts as they worked.

Nekozawa knew that at some level he was spooky, that he was probably scaring away customers. But it was not at the top level of his consciousness and it lay forgotten as he chatted idly with Kyouya and watched Tamaki and Haruhi out of the corner of his eye. It was interesting to watch the two of them, given the obvious attraction that had risen between the two lately. It was painfully obvious even to him, and he couldn't help but wonder that it a spectator like him could sense it, why couldn't they? It was a bit pathetic.

"Sorry, Haruhi!" Tamaki said as his hand brushed hers and both of them broke out into a blush. Nekozawa sighed. If they didn't admit their feelings soon, _he_ was actually going to have to do something about it.

**16: Orange**

"Don't they look lovely?" Tamaki asked happily, clapping his hands together. The pumpkins the two had carved together were sitting before them on Haruhi's kitchen table, their faces aglow with the light of the candles inside them. The bright orange vegetables were quite a sight on the normally bare table, filling the room with dancing, flickering light.

"They do," she had to admit that he was right: the pumpkins were a nice touch to the festively decorated house. When Tamaki had shown up with an armful of crafts that Sunday morning, she had been a bit apprehensive, but she had enjoyed the time they'd spent together much more than she should have.

"Yours is so scary, though!" Tamaki said, studying the roaring mouth full of jagged teeth that Haruhi had carved into her pumpkin. "Daddy thought you would have gone for something cuter…"

"I like scary pumpkins," she told him, brushing a bit of the orange goo from the inside of the pumpkin from her thumb and then looking up at him, smiling as she switched the lights off and they gazed at their handiwork, illuminated even more brightly without the lights on.

"Tamaki-sempai?"

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"I had a lot of fun with you today. Thank you for… for spending time with me," she smiled at the sight of his shy expression when she spoke these words, wondering when she had gained the power to render him speechless.


	5. 17 through 20

**17: Angel**

Tamaki had gone through a dozen costume changes in just two days. For someone who was supposed to be in charge of making the decisions for the upcoming Halloween ball, he was certainly indecisive about his personal life. At the moment, Tamaki's latest costume was a gaudy angel affair, complete with a loose-fitting white robe and halo. But of course, the main attraction was a pair of enormous white wings, covered with real feathers and standing nearly five feet high.

"How can you move properly in those things, Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi asked him finally after watching him walk around with the huge wings strapped to his back, not knocking anything over somehow and moving with perfect grace.

"I spent all last evening practicing," he confessed, leaning in a bit closer as though it was a deep, dark secret. Haruhi felt his breath on her ear and shivered slightly.

"Isn't that a lot of work for a Halloween costume?" she wondered aloud, still slightly unnerved by his close proximity to her. His eyes narrowed slightly as he slipped into that serious mode of his, cupping her chin in his hand.

"It's not simply a Halloween costume," he said in a low voice, his nose nearly brushing hers. His eyes glittered. "It's just that I wanted to be an angel for you, my Haruhi…"

**18: Darkness**

"I can't see anything!"

"Be quiet, Kaoru!"

"Stop stepping on my feet!"

It was mostly Tamaki's fault, to tell the truth, and he knew it. He had suggested that the club stay late after school to work on preparations for the various activities planned that week. The after-school session had lasted much longer than anticipated, stretching out into the hours after dark. And even a school as prestigious as Ouran was not immune to power failure.

"You're _still_ on my feet!"

"Ah!"

In the darkness, it was nearly impossible to move without bumping into someone, but Tamaki tried in vain to restore some semblance of order to the situation. He moved blindly through the darkness, searching for a lantern or a candle or _something_, just hoping that the lights would come on soon. He waved his arms in front of him, attempting to ward off collisions, but somehow someone managed to get past his foolproof barrier and slam up against his chest, their warm body meshing with his.

"Sorry…" a voice muttered, and Tamaki looked down at the face he couldn't see in the absolute darkness.

"Haruhi?"

"Tamaki-sempai?"

She was still pressed against him, and he took the opportunity to wrap her in a hug, telling himself that is was just because she needed comfort. Maybe his daughter was afraid of the dark! He had no way of knowing and of course he needed to protect her. He did, however, stray past the boundaries of mere comfort and brush a light kiss against her hair. The girl jumped.

"Tamaki-sempai!" she said, surprised. Tamaki, instilled with a sense of boldness by the veil of the dark, leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. The two stood in absolute silence, and Tamaki wondered if she was blushing as much as he was. He trembled, wondering if it would be alright to do more, to kiss her again. He could sense that in their closeness her lips could not be far from his. It wouldn't take too much…

The spell was finally broken by the sudden flash of light as Kyouya managed to get the power back on, and the two sprang apart as if none of it had ever happened.

**19: Moon**

The night of the club's Halloween ball dawned bright, the dim, candle-lit Ouran ballroom brightened by the luminescence of the swollen full moon. Under the bright glow of the moonlight, hosts entertained guests and swirling gowns and coattails filled the expanse of the dance floor. Haruhi, feeling ridiculous in all the frills of her witch gown, did her best to stay inconspicuous at the edges of the crowd. It was in vain, however. Wherever she went there were people who wanted to talk to her, questions she needed to answer, and Kyouya tut-tutting at her about how she was being antisocial.

It was a relief to finally slip unnoticed through the full glass doors and out into the moon-soaked courtyard. She stood, arms crossed, and shivered slightly in the cool night air. She hadn't counted on being outside, and she felt silly for not bringing a jacket.

"Chilly out tonight, isn't it?"

Haruhi leaped nearly a foot in the air and swirled around. Tamaki was walking toward her, a smile on his makeup-paled face. There was a grizzly fake wound on his neck and he was dressed in an elegant suit and top hat.

"Yes…" she muttered as he reached her.

"Oh, you're such a cute witch, Haruhi!" Tamaki gushed, reaching out and hugging her. "You have goosebumps…" he seemed horrified, and he deftly pulled off his black jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. She tried not to blush.

"Thank you…" she surveyed him for a moment. "What are you?"

"I'm the headless horseman!" Tamaki said extravagantly. Haruhi cocked her head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"But you have a head…" she pointed out.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, sidestepping her observation. The soft sound of the music from the ball drifted out into the courtyard, and he was holding his hand out to her.

"Yes…" she answered against her better judgment, and before she was aware of what was happening he was twirling her delicately in his arms, moving skillfully around the stone floor. She had forgotten what a good dancer he was. Around and around they moved, until the music stopped and they were dancing to a silent melody unheard by other ears.

Haruhi rested her cheek against his warm chest and let her worries dissolve off into the moonlight.

**20: Fall**

"Does it hurt!?" Tamaki's voice was shrill in the darkness. The chilly air sent clouds of his breath like smoke on the wind, and Haruhi shivered, shaking her head. She felt a bit stupid for hurrying so much to get back home before the thunder started when she knew it wouldn't be any less frightening there. There was something about Halloween being so near that made things a little less logical, even for her. But she couldn't allow him to worry.

"No, I'm… fine," she assured him, gritting her teeth slightly against the pain and trying to stand up. But with the throbbing still coursing through her knee it was rather difficult, and she stumbled. She became vaguely aware that the cut on her knee was rather deep, and it was bleeding down her calf.

"You shouldn't have been moving so quickly in the dark," Tamaki said, calmer now as he knelt beside her. His hand touched her hair lightly, and at the warmth she instinctively moved closer to him. He reacted by pulling her against him and then lifting her, cradling her against his chest. Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to protest, but her only pulled her closer. "I'll take you home," he assured her, and suddenly she was struck by an overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be alright.

"That's okay, I can--" she felt obligated to say, but she shushed her.

"I'll take you home, and I'll stay with you until the thunder stops. You don't need to say anything, just let me take care of you, alright?" he said softly, his breath ruffling her hair. Slowly giving in to his kindness, she rested her head against his chest, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."


	6. 21 through 24

**21: Skeleton**

It was the most bizarre decorating technique Haruhi had ever heard of, but she wasn't about to question it. This was the Host Club, after all. _Everything_ was bizarre. None of the club members did anything normally, and she was past the point of being fazed by it.

They hung on the wall, life-sized. It was a strange way to make the room festive, but the room looked interesting. There were only five of them, though there were seven members of the club. The twins, of course, had taken theirs together. And then there was Hunny's, Mori's, and Kyouya's. The x-rays were a nice touch to the Halloween-themed room, the delicate skeletal images preserved on the black background of the paper.

The bones of the skeletons were finely detailed, and Haruhi couldn't help but wonder how in the world Kyouya had persuaded his family's hospital to set up a random x-ray session for the seven club members. But he had done it, and the effect was stunning.

"They look good, don't they?" the shadow king himself asked her as he came up behind her, admiring the framed prints.

"They really do, Kyouya-sempai," she agreed, looking up at her own, which she shared with Tamaki. The two skeletons were holding hands.

**22: Empty**

The second Suoh mansion was completely empty, and Tamaki was alone. In one of his many Halloween costumes and surrounded by the decorations that he himself had put up, he couldn't bring himself to feel festive. Sighing, he turned his eyes out the window and watched the raindrops fall past. It was only three days until Halloween, and he found himself hoping that the rain would stop by then.

He could feel the loneliness beginning to set in, and he scolded himself for his self-pity. There was plenty to do around here by himself. He pondered the thought of watching television, of playing the piano. But neither appealed to him at the moment, and he settled for simply sitting in the window box staring out over the empty courtyard, picking at a loose thread in his headless horseman's jacket. For a moment, the world was completely empty, and felt a surge of loneliness sticking in between his rips like a dagger.

The empty silence was broken by the jovial twinkle of his ringtone, and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket quickly, not even bothering to check who it was before he pressed the talk button and held the silver device up to his ear.

"Hello!?"

"Tamaki-sempai?"

"Haruhi!" he shouted happily, and he could almost see her wincing on the other end of the line. "Good evening! How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?" the girl asked, and Tamaki smiled, settling in against the window and looking out at the not-so-empty world.

"I'm just perfect now."

**23: Eerie **

There was an eerie feeling in the air, like something wasn't right. She could sense it all around her, feel it more acutely than she could feel the cool breeze on her cheeks coming from the open window in the lavish hallway. She regretted leaving her books in the music room now, because although Haruhi was not foolish and knew that there were no such things as ghouls and things that go bump in the night, she could still feel a sense of uneasiness.

"Calm down Haruhi," she told herself, "Your father is waiting for you in the car. You aren't alone. Just get your books and get out of here," but she hadn't counted on Ouran being quite so creepy at night. The extravagant school was bright and pastel-colored by day, but by night it was dark and empty, and she couldn't stop a small shiver from passing through her body.

The third music room was just around the corner, and she could feel a sense of relief flooding her. She was almost there, and then she could go home, do her homework, and fall asleep after dinner. Things would be so simple if she could just reach that room. Her hand fell onto the familiar doorknob in the eerie darkness, but as she touched the cold metal the knob turned beneath her hand. The door swung open and she barely had time to step out of the way as a tall figure loomed before her, menacing and stooped in the darkness.

"Arg!" she shouted, throwing her hands in the air. The figure shouted too (somewhat girlishly) and the objects in its hands clattered to the floor around them.

"I'm sorry," the figure said breathlessly after calming down, and Haruhi felt relief drift through her body at the lilting voice. She lowered her hands, still trembling slightly.

"Oh, Tamaki-sempai. It's just you…" she breathed.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki squinted at her in the darkness, and the moonlight spilling through the row of windows behind them glinted in his eyes. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

"I came to get my books…" she explained, though she knew she could ask him the same question. Tamaki bent down and began to pick up the dropped objects.

"You mean these?" he asked, holding them out to her. She took them gratefully. "I was here with father because he had a meeting, and then I was getting something from the music room and I noticed you left them. I was going to be bring them to your house, but I ran into you here instead," he laughed, and even in the darkness his eyes glittered.

"Thank you, sempai," she muttered, and he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Here, you look a bit anxious. I'll walk you out," he announced grandly, and she allowed him to steer her in the direction of the front doors, not bothering to argue with him. She was struck by the feeling that the dark corridors didn't feel nearly as eerie with him so close.

**24: October**

The October breeze was cool, but not cold. The scent of dry leaves filtered through the air, and Tamaki inhaled it deeply as he waited for Haruhi to answer the door. It had been on a whim that he had decided to come by her apartment today. The day was lovely enough the he had slipped out of the mansion unnoticed before Shima could force him to do lessons, avoiding the limo and instead heading out on foot.

He felt silly for a moment as he stared at the door to his "daughter's" apartment, wondering if she would be home or if she even wanted to see him. It wasn't like him to doubt himself, and he sighed and then straightened as the door opened.

"Hello, Tamaki-kun," came the slightly disapproving voice of the tall man who stood before him, long red hair sweeping past his shoulders.

"My dear Ranka-san!" Tamaki said, bowing slightly. "Good morning! Is Haruhi home?"

"She went to the post office," the okama said with a shake of his head, and Tamaki felt his excitement deflate at the words. "You can wait if you want."

But Tamaki's energy could not be contained at the moment, and he shook his head. "No thank you," he declined politely. "But will you tell her I stopped by? Goodbye, Rank-san," Ranka nodded and he shut the door as Tamaki turned and headed back down onto the sidewalk, smiling at the faint breeze against his cheeks.

Suddenly he perked at the sight of a small figure moving toward him down the sidewalk. She was staring off into space and didn't seem to see him. Excitement coursing through his body, Tamaki took off at a sprint and reached her a few seconds later, flinging his arms around her.

"Haruhi!"

"Ah! Sempai!" Haruhi gasped, throwing her hands in the air as the blonde hugged her and then pulled back. "What are you doing?"

"I came to see you, Haruhi!" he gushed excitedly, the October wind ruffling his hair slightly. He took her hands in his. "And now that you're here I can ask you! Would you like to spend the day together!?" it all came out in a rush, and when he looked at her face he saw that she was smiling.

"Sure," he replied, and he swore his heart skipped a beat as she slipped her hand through his.


	7. 25 through 28

_OH MY GOD! I used the new little story traffic feature, and, I found out that around 500 indiviual people are reading this story! O.O I'm so happy! I can't believe it! It makes me want to write a ton more Ouran stories! I FEEL SO OVERJOYED!And it has thousands of hits? :tears of joy:_

* * *

**25: Leaves**

To be honest, I could not remember ever being quite so overjoyed in my life. The fact that Haruhi had agreed to spend the day with me was something that set sunshine on everything, even the places around us that were in shadow.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" I gushed, lacing my fingers through hers as she grabbed my hand. I pulled her closer to me and she gave a small shout of surprise. "What would you like to do today, Haruhi?" and it didn't even matter what her answer was, because either way I was overjoyed just to be with her, my heart hammering in my chest and my face flushed from excitement. And for just a moment I wondered if my fictional position of fatherhood to her was enough to make my heart flutter this way…

"We could just take a walk," she suggested, and I felt compelled to leap on her as I did every time she spoke a word. Oh, the sweet and beautiful agony of her presence!

"What a perfect idea!" I replied instantaneously, still shivering with excitement at the feeling of her small hand clasped within my own. I could sense, as usual, her displeasure at my uncontrollable excitement, but there was little I could do about it. It's who I am! What power do I have that allows me to change my very being!?

As we set off on our walk, I fairly bounced beside her. Her eyes were focused on the dry leaves that we walked on, crunching beneath our feet. Red and orange and gold, a riot of color that was left in small, shattered after we stepped over them.

"The leaves smell nice," I pointed out, making idle conversation, and she nodded. I was struck yet again with how nice it was to be spending a day in her company… how nice it was that she _wanted_ to spend time with me.

"They're pretty," she replied, keeping her eyes on the leaves. I squeezed her hand on impulse as the words escaped from my mouth without my real consent, as so many had in the past.

"Not as pretty as you…"

I was afraid I was being too forward, but it was worth it for the way she stopped walking and stared at me, looking as though maybe I had finally taken her breath away.

**26: Midnight**

As the huge clock on the tower struck twelve, a kind of hush broke out over the small group that sat huddled around the stairwell like a pack of freezing wild dogs around an open door. The hush was broken only by Haruhi's voice muttering "Why are we here again?"

"Because of the ghost," Kaoru insisted, pointing to the top of the stairs.

"Ghost?"

"You haven't been paying attention, have you, Haruhi?" Hikaru asked with a sigh, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Every year at midnight on October 29th, the spirit of a boy who died falling down these stairs appears! And so we're here to watch it…"

"You're just here to try to scare Tamaki," she muttered, but kept it to herself. The group sat in silence, the midnight darkness slowly beginning to close in around them. Haruhi settled in on the bottom step to make herself more comfortable, and shot a glance at Tamaki, who was sitting beside her. He didn't look nearly as horrified as she had expected (she had him all figured out as a coward). Instead he was gazing absentmindedly out the window at the top of the stairs, looking oddly beautiful in the moonlight. She found herself unable to look away, and cursed under her breath.

"Are you alright, Haruhi?" he asked softly as his eyes found hers with concern. She wondered why he was asking. Did she not look alright? She almost asked him, but before she could his arm snaked around her shoulders and pulled her against him, and all thought was lost. She simply leaned into his warmth and forgot everything.

**27: Horror**

"We've been sitting here forever!"

"It's ten minutes after midnight… I don't think the ghost is going to show…"

"Maybe we should be patient!" Tamaki declared, his arm still locked gently around Haruhi. Still leaning into his warmth, it was impossible for her to make coherent thought. It was actually even impossible to comprehend what was going on around her, much to her dismay. She could feel Tamaki's fingers squeezing her shoulder gently every now and then in silence reassurance, and she failed to notice the grumbling around them. The club members were beginning to get more than a bit fussy after sitting there for the last half hour, and now the whining had reached a maximum.

"Takashi, I want to go home," Hunny declared. "This is boring…"

"It _is_," Mori agreed, surprising everyone. Their eyes all locked onto him and he shrugged, a dismissive gesture that said, 'don't look at me', and slowly the stares drifted away from him. They bored group turned their eyes on the Hitachiins, whose idea this entire thing had been. The two exchanged a glance.

"Maybe we should call it quits."

"Since nothing really seems to be happening."

Slowly, the host club began to climb to their feet. Haruhi was surprised to find that she was disappointed to be out of Tamaki's warm grip. She missed those warm arms more than she should have. Slowly, she swayed inelegantly into a standing position and brushed invisible dust from her blazer. But as she did, suddenly Hunny gave a loud shriek. His small hand was pointing up the stairs, and as Haruhi's eyes followed it, suddenly her blood ran cold. Freezing terror gripped her body as she took in the sight of a tall, ghostly figure standing at the top of the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" it asked menacingly.

**28: Spirit**

"AHHHHH!"

The entire host club screamed as one entity then, and around her Haruhi could feel bodies shuffling as they all made a run for it down the nearest corridor. Haruhi couldn't move, could only stare at that figure as it slowly made its way down the staircase. She could feel a strong hand grip her arm, and looked up to see Tamaki looking at her desperately.

"Haruhi, come on!" he shouted, pulling her gently, and she snapped out of her trance, realizing that the spirit was almost halfway down the stairs. She began to run at Tamaki's prompting, though he did not let go of her arm as they darted into the corridor. They moved past paintings, busts of past headmasters, all shadowed in the darkness, and finally when they reached the hallway's end they were both out of breath. "I think we lost it…" Tamaki gasped, leaning against the wall for support.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Haruhi came to stand beside him, still breathing heavily. "Where are the others?"

Tamaki glanced around at the empty hallway. "I guess they must had turned at one of the corners…" he answered, still struggling to catch his breath. Haruhi nodded and glanced into the darkness of the hallway before looking back at the blonde. He stood with his elbow resting against the wall, looking tense and slightly frightened.

"Tamaki-sempai…"

But her words got lost in her throat when she noticed that his eyes had widened in horror. Slowly, dreading what she would see, she raised her eyes to look out into the hallway where his did. The ghostly figure from the stairs was stepping toward them, slowly and menacingly, baring down on them like a wild animal.

"Get behind me, Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted, taking action and stepping in front of her as the black figure drew nearer. He was trembling, and he turned back to face her, eyes boring into hers. "Haruhi… in case we don't make it out of this, I've been wanting to… um…"

She wasn't accustomed to seeing him look so unsure, and something about it was extremely endearing. Despite the danger that lurked just yards away, she found herself getting caught up in him. It wasn't something she normally did, and it scared her slightly.

"Tamaki-sempai?" she asked him softly, but he cut off her words as he leaned forward, cautiously pressing his lips into hers. For a moment, time stopped. Haruhi was so surprised, as well as confused, that she couldn't move. But something about this was… pleasant. He was warm, and he pulled her desperately against him, twining his fingers through her hair. She found herself kissing him back, as though for some reason logic and danger and the sheer awkwardness of having his warm mouth covering hers didn't matter. For a moment, there was nothing else.

"I've always wanted… to kiss you," Tamaki whispered breathlessly as he pulled away slowly, brushing his fingertips gently across her face as though she was made of porcelain. Something about the touch made her breath catch in her throat, and she watched as he turned back to the figure that now stood directly in front of them, ready to face the foe.

Slowly, the dark figure lifted its hand and pushed back its black hood. Haruhi sighed in irritation, all fear melting away at the sight of Nekozawa, blinking at them in the dim light pouring through the windows.

"Nekozawa-sempai?" she asked, the air leaving her lungs with an irritated whoosh.

"Yes…" the dark boy replied sheepishly as the five other host club members came up behind Nekozawa, grinning with what looked like triumph. Nekozawa turned and nodded at Hikaru, who gave a slightly devious grin.

The host club's plan had worked wonders.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**MWA Ha ha! Finally, a kiss :rubs hands together: In case you couldn't tell, the club was fed up with Haruhi and Tamaki not realizing their feelings, so they used a devious plot to do the magic.**

**The final installment of this series should be up by Friday, maybe with a special surprise?**


	8. 29 through 31 and epilogue

**29: Doll**

I did not appreciate being used as a pawn, as anyone would happily agree. But for the host club, it was slightly different. I had not minded helping the hosts do something to attempt getting Tamaki and Haruhi together: I _had_ been planning to get involved himself if something didn't happen soon.

However, I hadn't expected that my involvement would make things _worse_. They had kissed, it was true, and that had been the plan's ultimate goal. But I hadn't anticipated how truly awkward they would be afterward, and how they would ineptly blush when their eyes met and they would find some excuse to do something on opposite sides of the room.

So, this was how I had come to be standing in the shadowed corner of the third music room, two wooden, cat-eared dolls clutched in my hands. _'It's for your own good…' _I thought as I adjusted my black cloak and then moved the one with Tamaki's hair attached experimentally in a circle. _'You two need to talk again at some point.'_ I watched as Tamaki spun in a bewildered circle and then smiled slightly, putting my plan into action. I lifted both dolls and slowly brought them together, and then watched the two hosts in question for what would happen next.

"Eeek!" Tamaki shrieked as he was dragged into the center of the room against his will. Haruhi followed after from the side she was on, looking bewildered and waving her arms slightly. The two collided lightly, eyes wide and cheeks slightly flushed. They struggled to break apart, but I held the dolls firmly together and they had no way out of the situation. They both looked extremely confused, but I wasn't about to let them go yet.

"Um… hello, Tamaki-sempai."

"Hi, Haruhi."

"Well…"

"I…"

"Yeah…"

"About last night," Tamaki rubbed a hand across his hair before continuing. "I'm sorry for kissing you. I guess it was a bit forward of me. But I just figured we were going to die and it's something I've always wanted to do. So, will you forgive me?"

"I didn't mind, sempai," she replied, smiling slightly at him. Quickly, I removed their hair from the dolls, deactivated them before things could get awkward again. But the two of them didn't move. They just stayed rested against each other, smiling.

**30: Vampire**

"Today, I am a vampire!" Tamaki announced dramatically on the morning of October 30th, and the other members of the club ignored him. They were getting more than a little tired of his constant costume changes and babbling about said costume changes, and all in all the easiest thing to do was ignore it completely.

"That's nice, Tamaki," Kyouya said dismissively before going back to his checklist of things needed for the formal Halloween ball that night. He honestly didn't see the point in throwing _two_ balls, one at the beginning of the week and the other actually on Halloween, but he didn't feel like arguing with Tamaki about it, and it was easier just to appease him.

"Aren't you worried that I'm going to bite you?" Tamaki asked with a wink, and Kyouya sighed, looking back up at the blonde. He knew Tamaki well, and at the moment possibly the only way to get him to shut up would be to embarrass him out of talking.

"Not really," the ebony-haired host said, pushing his glasses back into place. "Actually, with the way you were kissing Haruhi last night, I'm more worried about you attempting to devour _her_," he said, and watched as Tamaki's cheeks flushed a brilliant scarlet. Success.

"K-Kyouya!" the blonde stammered, his eyes wide. "I… it was just… I would never…"

"I don't think I'd mind," came Haruhi's thoughtful voice from behind him, and both boys were stunned speechless.

**31: Halloween**

The night of the formal Halloween ball dawned clear and cool, and as costume-clad guests filed through the doors of Ouran's ballroom, Tamaki stayed inside with the other hosts, greeting guests and kissing hands, smiling flatteringly at the women who attended.

"You _are_ going to attempt something with Haruhi, aren't you?" Kyouya asked him as they each greeted one of a set of female twins entering the ballroom. The shadow king straightened his bloodstained lab jacket and looked at his companion.

"What are you talking about?" Tamaki asked indignantly, his eyes sweeping across the room to rest on the twins dressed as Greaser boys.

"He's right, you know," Kaoru told him, tapping Tamaki on the chest with his small comb.

"Yeah, this could be the perfect chance, Milord," Hikaru agreed. "She's over by the refreshment table… you could just go over and snatch her up and she'd be yours," the older twin elbowed him lightly. Tamaki sighed, looking at the redheaded boys who flanked him.

"But I…"

"It's the chance of a lifetime!" the twins declared together.

"Ne, Tama-chan, they're right!" Hunny declared, his face poking out from the fuzzy lion mane. A pink bow was tied around the tail that hung from the back of the outfit, and the effect was more adorable than frightening, despite his fake animal fangs. He sat perched on Mori's shoulders. Mori looked as pensive as ever in his glittering lion tamer's outfit.

"This is a chance you can't afford to miss, Tamaki," the taciturn boy agreed, and Tamaki sighed.

"But I have to greet guests! And what if she doesn't--"

"Just do it!" the host club shouted together, giving him a unified irritated glance.

"We're all tired of seeing you two skirt the issue!" Renge declared dramatically, coming up behind Tamaki and bopping him with a small stuffed rat. She was dressed in a girl's navy blue school uniform and sported a long brown wig, clutching the toy rat in one hand and a plush cat in the other. "So go!" she gave Tamaki a hard shove in Haruhi's direction. It was far from Tamaki to be brave enough to argue with Renge when she got like this, and he hurried toward the food table, feeling her glaring daggers into his back all the way.

"Oh, Tamaki-sempai!" Haruhi said brightly as he approached her. His heart thudded in his chest.

"Good evening, Haruhi," he replied, giving her a smile.

"We match," Haruhi pointed out, and Tamaki looked down at his long black wizard robe, printed with orange stars. It went perfectly with Haruhi's black and orange witch's dress, and he grinned.

"I may have planned it," he confessed, adjusting his matching pointed hat. Haruhi laughed slightly.

"I could tell…"

Tamaki took several deep breaths, surveying the girl before him happily before he spoke again. "Would you like to dance with me again, Haruhi?" he asked, extending his hand. He noticed that his fingers were shaking slightly, and he gave her an uncharacteristically nervous smile. Her hand reached out slowly, and as he felt her palm against his and closed his fingers around it, his nervousness melted away.

"Sure."

He led her carefully out onto the floor by the hand, and in an open spot they began to waltz, Tamaki leading as best he could without tripping on the edges of his long robe. Slowly, he spun her, and as the moments passed the two grew closer together. Space between them evaporated, dissolving into nothingness until they were pressed tightly together, not so much dancing as swaying slightly. Finding her eyes, Tamaki swallowed several times.

"Tamaki-sempai… can we talk about something?"

"Of course, Haruhi," he replied, aware that they were no longer moving at all, and people were beginning to stare. Tamaki couldn't bring himself to care. "Go ahead."

"Well, the other night when you kissed me, it made me start thinking…" Tamaki marveled at how straightforward she was, and bit his lip as he waited for the rest. "And I started to think that maybe there was something that…" instead of finishing she grabbed him by the front of the robes and pulled him down toward her, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

Tamaki, breathless, felt the blood rush into his face. "There… _is_ something between us, isn't there?" he asked softly, looking carefully into the chocolate-colored depths of her eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, aware that this was what the others had been talking about. This was the opportunity that he could not allow to get away. "And I… want to make something more of it."

"Tamaki-sempai?"

"I want to be together, Haruhi," he breathed deeply, stress exiting his lungs and freedom coming in. The joy of finally saying what he needed to say was immeasurable. "I realized it before, but I was too afraid to think about it. But the other night I discovered that I truly _needed _it, and not having it was more than I could stand. Will you… be with me?"

The silence was almost deafening, and as he stared nervously into her eyes, he saw a smile there that melted his anxiety. "Yes," she answered simply, and the single word was enough to make him want to dance on clouds. Not bothering to restrain himself, he lifted her in his arms and spun her in circles.

"Thank you Haruhi! Thank you! Oh my goodness, thank you!"

"Ah! Sempai, put me down!" she gasped, eyes wide as he continued to spin her, laughing happily. By now, nearly everyone around them had stopped dancing and was watching the spectacle, but Tamaki ignored them. Slowly, he stopped spinning her and brought her back into his arms. She looked slightly shaken, and he stroked her cheek delicately smiling at her.

"Haruhi…" he whispered. The kiss he pressed onto her lips was joyous, and when she kissed him back with a light squeak he swore his heart was about to burst. He didn't care that the people around them were going to think they were gay, he didn't care that it was embarrassing, and he didn't care about the repercussions this was sure to have tomorrow. All he cared about was that he had his Haruhi, and that was all that matter.

He laughed softly to himself. He had never imagined that the most romantic holiday was Halloween.

**Epilogue: A Halloween Greeting from the Host Club!**

Adjusting his robe, Tamaki sighed and took a seat in the plush red chair, extending his hands. "From the bottom of our hearts, everyone in our Host Club wishes you the happiest of Halloweens!"

"May you eat, drink, and be merry," the twins said together, winking devilishly with their arms locked around each other, their Greaser hairdos overly-gelled and gleaming in the light of the third music room.

Haruhi squeaked slightly as Tamaki pulled her into his lap, and then regained her composure, arranging herself more comfortably against his chest and smiling. "We hope you had a wonderful holiday with us!"

"If you should ever feel bored, the host club will be here to entertain you…" Kyouya said, yelping as the twins pulled on his mad scientist coat and yanked him into their midst, plenty of Halloween mischief in store for him.

"… for many holidays to come," Mori finished Kyouya's sentence. He leaned down to pick up Hunny, whose lion costume was slight disheveled from the ball. The blonde arranged himself happily on Mori's shoulders and laughed in delight.

"Be sure to stop by and visit us in the third music room!" he delightedly bit down on a piece of candy, a cheerful smile on his small face.

"Happy Halloween!" the seven of them declared synonymously, their costumes, laughter and smiles mingling to create the perfect festive atmosphere for the holiday. And as the third music room's double doors swung shut, sending the smell of candy out into the corridor, there was the distinct feeling of excitement for many Halloweens yet to come.

* * *

_Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the final installment of the series! I also hope you had a super fun holiday! Super special thanks to the 500 readers and to the handful of reviewers :3 You all made it a ton of fun to write these! _

_And also thanks to my friends at Ouran High0, who inspired a lot of the things in here: Ky, Tami, Roxii, Masahiro, Chi, Matsuki, Fahrenheit! Yay! I looove you guys!_

_Well Lit, it's finished! Thanks for proposing this Halloween challenge, because I had a lot of fun writing it! YAY!_

_See you all next time!_


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